Take a Deep Breath

Currently I'm listening to the Nooma soundtrack and watching a doe in the grass outside my window. It's rather nice.

I've been having my rear kicked lately. A little over a year ago I began ending many of my prayers the same way, partially as a reminder to myself of how blessed I am, how even when in prayer I feel at the end of my rope God continues to be so good, so good to me.

In preparation for this summer we've been given an amazing opportunity to extend scholarships to students for whom finances play an ever present role in their lives. We've asked the youth leaders to simply fill out a paragraph letting us know of the need and then we give them some nice help towards a week of Know Sweat.

I don't think we were prepared for this.

I'd like to think of myself as at least a non-rookie in the world of ministry. I'd like to think I've been a part of some churches where our folks have gone through some rough times, horrific times and gut wrenching times. But I wasn't prepared for this.

This morning I read through about 18 applications. I want to honor them and their anonymity but let me just say someof the stuff sucks the air out of my lungs. Of the over 100 we've recieved so far I bet almost half have a parent with cancer or some life threatening surgery, we've read about layoff after layoff, single parents (one has 4 girls and just had surgery to remove cancer from her brain) destroyed homes (one had it burn down and they were unable to rescue one of their children), some who've saved birthday money to scrape together the pre-reg money, others who've worked odd jobs, sold things they love to raise the money, so they can go serve somebody. So THEY can go serve.

And so I sit on a beautiful tuesday. This afternoon I'll take some time off and hang out with my incredible wife, my little boy who got his first bike yesterday and cried because it got dark and he had to stop riding, my parents (who bought said bike) and my grandma. I'm sitting at my desk, able to provide for my family and feeling fulfilled each day and I can't help but feel like I wasn't prepared for this. He is good. Even in the midst. Even in my moments of frustrations but I've lived it, I've seen it happen for those I love that he is faithful in the valley and faithful as we trudge up the canyon wall and at times there are moments where the clouds clear, the sun shines and our perspective is so much farther than usual and we see things a littl emore clearly and we realize we are blessed. More than we realize and definately more than we give him credit for. Ultimately that blessing has a lot more to do with eternity than our time here but now gives us that tip of the iceberg perspective we need for now.

Not sure where you are today as you read this but trust in one thing: you are loved and you are blessed. Enjoy this day--He made it so its very good.